Smile With Your Heart
by IceTearDropz
Summary: An old promise... A new promise... and... A tutoring job... How does this all fit together? Don't want to give out too much... Ratings may change later...


Please read all A/Ns and Disclaimers before beginning the story. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Inuyasha_. I do, however, own this story plot.

Disclaimer: I got the inspiration to write this story form _Stairway to Heaven_. It may seem similar in some parts. This is not a remake of _Stairway to Heaven_ using _Inuyasha_ characters. This story was influenced by it. I do not want flames saying that I copied from the drama. I didn't. The story idea is _mine_. I do not mean to sound all territorial, but I got to protect myself if I don't want to get sued or blamed for something I didn't do.

Thanks for reading that. Now enjoy the story.

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**:Chapter One:**

* * *

"Will you be okay here?" 

The raven haired girl nodded, trying to hide the already shed tears with her bangs. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me and study real hard."

"…Maybe I shouldn't go at all. It's not too late for me to change my mind. I don't like leaving you behind."

The girls head shook from side to side letting the tears fall freely. She had no right to stop him. No matter how much she was hurting. "No. Go. I'll be fine."

He sensed that she was upset, and his golden eyes narrowed. "But… You're crying."

Knowing that her dear friend could see the tears that she had tried to conceal, she looked directly into his golden eyes and smiled. She couldn't tell him the real truth or he'd never go. "I'm crying, because I'm happy for you. Extremely happy."

The older boy relaxed and held her in a soft embrace. He held her soft body against him and wished he could tell her the truth… The truth about how he felt about her before his departure.

Instead, he tried to stop her from crying. He hated seeing her tears. He didn't want to see the tears that hid her beautiful smile from him. "Then don't cry, dummy. If you're happy for me, smile. I want you to smile all the time."

Returning the warm hug, the girl nodded as her tears still ran amok. "I will. I'll always smile. But for only today, I want to cry."

In defeat, he nodded. "Okay, fine. For today you can cry. But while I'm gone, I want you to be strong and smile for me. Can you promise me that? Promise to be strong and smile for me?"

Still trapped in the embrace, Kagome promised. A single tear slipped to join with the others that have already been shed. _'He'll come back. I can tell him then. He'll come back for me. When that day comes… I'll tell him. I'll tell him then…'_

"I promise... I'll always smile for you."

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**5 Years Pass**

* * *

The raven haired teen sighed in defeat as she came out of yet, another place that had turned her down, because they had already hired someone. This was the 9th place that she went in person! She had already called 20 places on the phone who all replied 'we hired someone' or 'no thanks'. 

Why was it so hard for a 17 year old teenage girl, with no past job experience, to get a job!

She sighed. Of course it was impossible. With no expertise in anything, along with her young age, what decent place would want to hire her?

Not the type to give up easily, she past by the nearby newsstand and purchased three more newspapers. Now knowing the stand owner by name, she thanked him graciously as he gave her a soda. They met when Kagome began hunting for jobs by searching the job section in newspapers. She'd been at it for weeks, thus bonding with the owner.

"Still trying to find a job, Kagome?"

Nodding, Kagome groaned in frustration. "It's either I'm not old enough, not experienced enough, or too late."

He gave a rueful smile. "Don't worry so much. Your mother might have had some more luck with her searching."

"Yes, perhaps." Wiping the rim of the soda, she opened it and took a large gulp of refreshing sprite. "I really think I should pay for the drink."

Totosai smiled. "Think nothing of it. You're a bright girl. I'm sure you'll find a way to repay me later on."

Kagome let out a true laugh and gave him a pointed look. "Of course! I never forget my debts. I owe you a lot already."

"Friends help each other," He replied.

The two were interrupted by another customer and Kagome said her farewell as she checked her watch.

"I didn't know it was getting so late. I should be getting home now. Thanks again! Goodbye!"

The customer left with his purchase and Totosai turned to wave goodbye to Kagome.

"You keep your head up now!"

He chuckled softly as he heard a fading, "Hai!"

Kagome was such an endearing girl. It was such a pity that she and her mother couldn't pay the rent, forcing the bright girl into looking day and night for a job.

Suddenly, a thought popped into his head. It was an outrageous idea. It was an idea that might fail miserably. But it was also an idea crazy enough to actually work.

Yes. It could work. Kagome could and would willingly make it work.

Becoming excited by his brilliant plan to help the young teen out, Totosai decided to close early. He hardly doubted that he would have lost any business by closing a few hours early. Who'd want to buy newspapers at 7:30 at night anyhow?

* * *

"So, how you hanging, Kagome?" 

Kagome closed her bedroom door and plopped onto her twin bed, still cradling the receiver on her shoulder. She reached out to her night table and grabbed her sakura blossoms lotion and proceeded to spread it on her arms as she answered her best friend. "Not good. I'm still looking for a job."

Her friend on the phone gave a sympathetic sigh. "School's going to start in a few days, you know. You can't look for a job day and night anymore."

Done moisturizing, she carelessly tossed the lotion back to where it stood before, and lay on her back, resting her tired head on her soft white pillow. "I know, I know, Sango."

"It sucks that they raised the rent. And a few weeks before they were due too," replied Sango.

"Yeah. My mom barely paid the rent before. Now that it's raised, I definitely have to find a job by the end of this week."

"Want me to help out again?"

Kagome shook her head as she persuaded her not to. She'd already helped before, and she wore herself out. "No, it's fine. Besides, like you said school's going to start soon. You're going to need your brain for studying."

"Well, what about you? You can't look for jobs when school starts."

Frowning, Kagome wondered out loud why not.

"Are you kidding? With the stress of school and job hunting, you'd die of exhaustion."

Just as she was about to reply back, she heard her mother come home. "Sango, I'll have to call you back. Mom's here."

"Ok. Hopefully, she's had some luck. Bye."

"Bye."

She turned the phone off and put it back into its receiver by her desk.

Opening her door, she wandered out into the living room to find her mother on the couch with a look of utter defeat.

Uncertain that her mother was well, Kagome hurried to her mother's side and began to question her. "Mom, you okay?"

Her mother's head turned to look at her. "Honey, nothing's working. If we can't find a job very soon, we won't make the rent payment. I'm afraid we'll have to move in with your grandfather at his shrine."

Tired from the days work, she left a dumbfounded Kagome sitting at the couch as she went to relax in the tub.

'_Move? But this place… holds so many of our precious memories…'_

Kagome's heart tightened as her childhood memories came sweeping back. All those happy memories would have to be left behind if they moved. Every single one of those treasured moments would all be left behind them.

As tears began to form in her eyes and threatened to spill, she remembered his words.

"_I want you to smile all the time. While I'm gone, I want you to be strong and smile for me. Can you promise me that?"_

Nodding with determination, Kagome quickly blinked away her unshed tears. She took in deep breaths trying to calm her raging emotions. She remembered her reply to his question.

'_I promise…I promise I'll always smile for you… No matter what.'_

She'd always kept that promise. For years now. And she was going to continue to keep it.

No matter what.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. I know that the story is progressing slowly. Even boring. But I'm trying to build Kagome's character as of right now. The people are slightly OOC, I know. The OOCness is mostly found in the childhood flashbacks. The OOCness will be taken care of later as the story unfolds. This story is going to be dramatic… and if you don't like that… then… umm... I'm sorry. But it's going to be very dramatic. I fully intend to leave my readers crying. Don't ask me character pairings, because this fic is going to have you torn apart from trying to decide who Kagome should end up with. ; All I can say is that Kagome is going to end up with one of the inuyoukai brothers. 

Please remember to review so that I may improve on my writing skills. I know many skip this simple task because it can be quite annoying sometimes, but please review. It'll help me with my writing skills as well as encourage me to update faster. Not to mention, my self esteem and confidence gets a boost from it. Interesting scenes and installments for the story come from reviewing too, so please do.

Only constructive criticism is welcomed. No flames please. And if you do flame me, ignoring my polite plea, then leave a reason why you did flame.

Ice


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